ethsharfandomcom-20200215-history
Warlockry
Warlockry was a type of magic which was widely practiced between YS 5202 and 5236. In 5236 the original source of warlockry left the World and the abilities of warlocks vanished. Subsequently most warlocks turned to mundane trades and crafts and the magic is generally believed to be extinct. This form of magic primarily centered around telekinesis and a special sense of material and "space." At the height of power this sense granted fine resolution sufficient to manipulate items smaller than bacteria, descriptions suggesting that they may possibly even manipulate objects at the molecular level. There is evidence that it would also allow individuals to sense the behavior of other types of energy such as wizardry. The single variable of a Warlock's ability seems to be the attunement of a warlock, as a warlock's sensitivity increases they gain finer detail from their warlock senses and become able to channel greater power from the Source. The sense feature of Warlockry applies to space and matter surrounding the warlock, granting finer detail as the individual becomes more attuned. Descriptions of the warlock sense suggests that a typical warlock can sense, and thus manipulate, the molecules of objects around them. This is re-enforced by demonstrations such as the application of Warlockry to cool areas, generate heat, and start fires. The power feature of Warlockry describes mass effect that they can generate and maintain. Warlockry is a purely physical magic and power is demonstrated by telekenetic force; often measured by the amount a warlock can lift off the ground and hold. While power is frequently one of the most dramatic of demonstrations regarding a warlock's ability it is through subtlety that some of the most useful effects are created. However, because of the apparently unlimited power provided by their sources, warlocks tend towards a brute-force approach to their magic use. Warlockry is an immediate magic. While other magics can create effects which are durable the effects of a warlock are immediate. The consequences of these effects may persist; healing or injury done by a warlock are not undone, a fire lit by a warlock will burn if there is available fuel, and items which have been created or improved by a warlock do not immediately revert once the warlock stops their magic. However, there is no lingering enchantment; once a warlock ceases channeling magic to the effect natural laws reassert themselves; a sword created by a warlock will start rust, a chilled drink will warm to room temperature, and a levitated object will immediately fall as demanded by gravity. Even witchcraft, the next least durable magic, can create effects which persist once concentration ceases while warlocks can not. Warlockry does not require inborn talent but some, such as Dumery of Shiphaven, are very unsuitable for the craft. In fact it seems to have been the failed apprenticeship of Sterren of Semma which demonstrated the unsuitability of some candidates to be warlocks and lead to more careful selection of apprentices to the craft.Fri 29 Oct 2010 10:55:51a sff.people.lwe post titled Re: Blood of a Dragon Questions =''Ursettor Fwal''= The sensitivity and ability to channel power is granted by a special structure in a warlock's brain which the god Unniel the Discerning called an ursettor fwal. During the Calling the alien nature of the energy that the warlocks channeled from the Aldagmor Source caused most gods to not recognize warlocks as human. Initiation of a new apprentice warlock involves the master molding the student's brain to create the ursettor fwal, and attune them to the source. There is no known method to remove the ursettor fwal or otherwise make an individual cease to be a warlock so long as they are within range of a viable Source to which they are attuned. Transmutation into a non-human form changes the size of the ursettor fwal proportionally, but renders it inactive while they remain in the altered form. Once restored to human form the ursettor fwal is entirely restored. =Sources= Warlockry came into existence when an object fell from the sky during the Night of Madness. This object, which became known as the Aldagmor Source or occasionally the Warlock Stone, awakened a number of warlocks to its power. It granted them telekinetic ability. Like all sources the power of this ability varied by their sensitivity and range from the object. It also 'whispered' to them. Warlocks become more powerful the more they use their abilities, and those who become very powerful heard what is known as "The Calling" from this object and were unable to resist a compulsion carried in the whispers to travel to it. Until 5236 no warlock had ever come back from these trips. There is another object to the South, in Lumeth of the Towers near the Empire of Vond (presumably the Towers of Lumeth themselves), that those who are already warlocks appear to be able to tap for power. This object appears to be unlike the Aldagmor Source in that it is not sentient and it certainly is not actively creating or encouraging warlocks. Without this southern source warlocks in the south would have been too far from the Aldagmor Source to tap significant power. =Warlocks and Society= Warlocks were not known to exist until the Night of Madness in YS 5202, so they did not exist during the Great War between the Northern Empire and the Holy Kingdom of Ethshar. During the Night of Madness, the Aldagmor Source first transformed thousands of otherwise normal people or other types of magicians into warlocks. The most powerful of these new warlocks immediately heard the Call of the Aldagmor Source and traveled to it using any available means (typically flying). The first twenty-four hours were filled with looting, chaos, violence, and destruction as some new warlocks did not immediately realize the responsibility of possessing their new found powers. After the first week or two, the Wizards' Guild enforced existing rules regarding the use of multiple types of magic, causing all warlocks to relinquish use of all other types of magic or perish. Following the Night of Madness, under the guidance of then Lord Hanner, the warlocks established a Council of Warlocks to perform guild-like functions similar to the Wizard's Guild. With the assistance of the Wizard's Guild, warlocks narrowly avoided being banned within the Hegemony of the Three Ethshars. During the events of The Vondish Ambassador, the Wizard's Guild banned all warlocks from a 20-league radius around Lumeth of the Towers and from the Empire of Vond. A warlock's formal dress is black; this includes tunic, pants, and cape or cloak. Originally warlocks did not wear robes in an effort to differentiate themselves from demonologists, but over time this prohibition weakened; by 5220 some warlocks did wear black robes, thinking it made them look more like real magicians. Similarly warlocks are not to wear red, preferring white or gold trim. The choice of black was originally a purely pragmatic one- as any clothing on hand could be dyed quickly to help warlocks assimilate into a recognizable group rather than having to wait and spend money many did not have to get clothing of another color. Laws thumbWarlockry was not widely outlawed until 5224 YS, when the Wizards' Guild decreed that warlockry would be outlawed in a number of places in the Small Kingdoms including the Empire of Vond, Lumeth of the Towers, Shassala, Gajamor, Calimor, Eknissamor, Yaroia, Zenda, or Kalithon. Prior to that it had been outlawed briefly in the Baronies of Sardiron after the Night of Madness. However, several unpleasant events where people attempted to stop warlocks being Called lead to a swift repeal of that ban. =Timeline of Major Events for Warlockry= Night of Madness, 5202. (Night of Madness) Chairman Hanner Called, 5219. (Night of Madness) Vond becomes emperor, 5220. (the Unwilling Warlord) Vond is Called, 5221. (the Unwilling Warlord) Warlocks banned from the area around Lumeth of the Towers, 5224. (the Vondish Ambassador) Response arrives, late in 5236, releasing all Called warlocks. (The Final Calling) History of the World =Known Applications of Warlockry= Unlike wizardry, which has specific formulas (spells) to create different effects, Warlockry is a very dynamic ability and with sufficient power, attunement, and creativity this can be a very versatile ability. Given sufficient power warlocks are equally able to perform any task, though personality and temperament may make some more natural than others. As a result, warlockry has been turned to a number of applications. * Roll a desired number with dice to cheat at gambling - a simple application of telekinisis, so slight this is possible even to individuals who would not otherwise be able to be noticed as warlocks by normal observers (or the individual using it) (The Unwilling Warlord) * Stop Hearts - a simple telekenetic squeeze to the relevant organ. (The Unwilling Warlord) * Civil Engineering - Dredge harbors, pave roads, quarry stone are all accelerated with the incredible lifting capacity of a warlock, combined with their spacial sense finding a desired material becomes a trivial task. (The Unwiling Warlord) * Flying - By inverting the normal process of telekinesis and moving themselves away from the ground rather than moving an object in relation to themselves any reasonably competency warlock can fly. (The Night of Madness) * Flying Others - Using telekinisis on others. (The Night of Madness) * Magnify Sound - a finer application of power, the warlock uses his power to manipulate the air molecules making up sound waves to re-enforce their motion. (Unwilling Warlord) * Mend Objects - moving the appropriate pieces close enough together they fuse. (the Vondish Ambassador) * Mend Broken Bones - presumably, this is done much the same way objects are mended (The Blood of a Dragon) * Determine direction to the Aldagmor Source - not so much an application as a side effect of the Call. Does provide an internal compass. (The Unwilling Warlord) * Refrigerate the hold of a ship - telekenetically slow molecular motion. (With a Single Spell) * Summon or Suppress Rainstorm (The Unwilling Warlord) * Summon Lightning (This lightning is orange-red in color rather than the blue-white lightning seen in nature, Unwilling Warlord) * Give magical power to witches - it is unclear exactly the process through which this is accomplished. (The Blood of a Dragon) =Noteable Warlocks= * Vond * Chairman Hanner * Lord Faran * Sterren of Semma * Sensella of Morningside - the last warlock Called to Aldagmor =Warlockry and Other Magics= Witchcraft When warlockry first appeared some witches mistook it for witchcraft. This misconception was quickly dispelled, however similarities and connections have been found. The witch Teneria of Fishertown has specialized in studying this connection, and has found, among other things, that warlocks can bolster witches by feeding them power from their seemingly unlimited Source. Sorcery Vond managed to draw power from the Towers of Lumeth, and other warlocks in the Empire of Vond and parts of the Small Kingdoms close to the Towers have reported the same headaches that experienced before learning to tap into that alternate source. Warlockry is not known to have any deeper connections to sorcery, though the activation of warlock powers never adversely effected sorcerers the way it did wizards or theurgists.Thu 06 Jan 2011 03:41:51a sff.people.lwe post titled Re: Sorcery in Ethshar Wizardry Wizardry and warlockry are almost diametrically opposed, each finding the other incredibly difficult to effect directly. Warlock power disrupts wizardry, often overwhelming it due to the methodology of warlocks. Similarly, wizards find it immensely challenging to enchant warlocks. On the other hand, warlocks find wizardly enchantments difficult to work through, and are completely unable to effect a wizard's athame. Theurgy During the Calling the gods were unable to answer many questions about warlocks and warlockry, being blocked by the energy put off by the Aldagmor Source because it was from beyond the Universe, and thus beyond the purview of the gods. This energy also made the gods unable to recognize warlocks as human, overwhelming the warlock's own "aura" with the otheworldly energy channeled through them. With the end of the Calling the gods recognize all warlocks as human, even those warlocks who channel energy from the Lumeth Source. Demonology Unlike the Gods, demons remained perfectly able to percieve and interact with warlocks. In fact they seem to have remained largely ignorant of the otherworldly energy being channeled through warlocks by the Call and are unable to identify warlocks on sight as the Gods can. Much like sorcerers demonologists who became attuned to the Call suffered no ill effects to their magic.Thu 06 Jan 2011 03:41:51a sff.people.lwe post titled Re: Sorcery in Ethshar